Smoking Material Container System

ABSTRACT

A smoking material container system has a housing which has an interior container which is slidably positionable into a surrounding sleeve. A folding funnel can be used to place smoking material into rolled cigarette papers. A grating component may also be included to allow the user to grate course smoking material into grated particles which are easier to position within the cigarette papers.

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/180,789 filed on Apr. 28, 2021, which is incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference thereto.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to articles employed for smoking. More particularly, it relates to a carrying system for rolling papers which is configured to carry and grind smoking material to enable easier positioning of ground smoking material into wrapping papers.

2. Prior Art

Smoking materials, such as tobacco, herbs, hemp and other materials, have been positioned with an axial passage of a paper cylinder for many years. Commercially sold products, such as those employing herbs or tobacco and the like, are conventionally sold in packages. Each package holds a plurality of machine-rolled cigarettes where tobacco is the smoking material and cigarette-like products where herbs or hemp or other smoking materials are wrapped in paper.

However, many smokers either use smoking material which is not commercially sold or prefer to purchase their own smoking material and assemble their own cigarette-like smoking items. This is especially true where the smoking material to be smoked is herbs or, more modernly, hemp which has been grown to contain CBD which is known to have health benefits.

Conventionally, smokers who assemble their own cigarettes from smoking material they have purchased will position the smoking material of choice upon a rolling paper, and then roll the smoking material into a cigarette like form. Adhesive on one edge of the rolling paper is frequently employed to hold the rolled cigarette containing the smoking material choice in the cylindrical shape.

This task takes a significant amount of practice and dexterity to accomplish correctly. The smoking material must be of a consistency to be easily rolled within the surrounding rolling paper. Further, the proper consistency of the smoking material ensures that the final cigarette-like product will burn the paper evenly along with the shredded smoking material held therein in an even fashion from the distal end to the draw end of the cigarette.

With respect to the above, before explaining at least one preferred embodiment of the carrying system for smoker's articles herein, it is to be understood that the disclosed container device and system are not limited in application to the details of employment and to the arrangement of the components or the steps set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The smoking article container apparatus and operations thereof disclosed herein are capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways, all of which will be obvious to those skilled in the art once the information herein is reviewed.

Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized for other smoking article container systems. It is important, therefore, that the embodiments, objects and claims herein, be regarded as including such equivalent construction and methodology insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The smoking material container system herein provides both a container or housing configured to carry and transport the chosen smoking material of a user, as well as an onboard component to grind and process the smoking material to a consistency adapted for operative positioning within the axial cavity of a rolled paper that surrounds the smoking material when it is being smoked. The device and system feature a housing that is formed of a sleeve component which has an internal chamber surrounded by a sidewall forming the sides defining the shape of both the sleeve component and the internal chamber thereof.

The assembled housing also includes a box-like internal container. This internal container is positionable to a mounted position within the internal chamber of the sleeve by insertion through an opening in at least one end of the sleeve. The internal container is removable from the protection provided by the internal chamber and surrounding sidewall by sliding it through the opening in the end of the sleeve.

The internal container of the housing is configured with an internal cavity. This internal cavity is defined by a base portion which is surrounded on all sides by a sidewall extending from the base to a distal end of the sidewall. The internal cavity is configured to hold rolled cigarette papers and can be provided to include a triangular shaped funnel which has an open side into which smoking material may be positioned. The funnel at a narrower end is insertable into the axial cavity of the rolled paper to thereby fill it with smoking material. The internal cavity of the internal container is also adapted to hold a supply of smoking material.

Particularly preferred in all modes of the system herein is the provision of a grinding or grating component which is integrated into the housing. As shown, the grating component of the device herein is provided by a plurality of openings which communicate through one portion of the sidewall which forms the sides of the sleeve component of the housing. The plurality of openings allow a user to slide smoking material across the surface of the sidewall, through which the openings communicate, in a grating action. The smoking material is, thus, grated from a larger size and configuration where portions of the material are stuck together into grated smoking material which falls through the openings and into the interior chamber of the sleeve. Once within the interior chamber, the grated smoking material may be easily collected by a tilting of the sleeve in a direction toward the opening where the grated smoking material will fall onto a collection surface.

Also preferred in the most operative mode of the device herein is the provision of a ramp which is preferably pivotally engaged to the internal container and which will move from a planar stored position on or adjacent the base, to a deployed position wherein it angles toward the base of the internal container. In this deployed position, the sleeve may be positioned upon the ramp and held in an angled position during the grating process. As the smoking material is grated and falls through the openings, it will slide from the internal chamber through the opening therein, to a position upon the base of the internal container where it is surrounded by the walls projecting therearound.

Additionally preferred is the provision of a funnel which is configured with two planar side members which form a wider end of the funnel and a second or narrower end. In use, the second end of the funnel is sized to slide into an open end of a rolled paper where it projects into the axial cavity therein. Once so positioned, it allows the user to easily position grated smoking material onto the two planar side members which angle upward from a centerline of the funnel. Once so positioned, the grated smoking material may be easily deposited into the axial cavity of the rolled smoking paper to form a cigarette having the grated smoking material therein.

With respect to the above description, before explaining at least one preferred embodiment of the herein disclosed smoking material container system herein, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangement of the components in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The container system invention herein described, is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways which will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for designing of other smoker material carrying and container systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present disclosed container system herein. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent construction and methodology insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

As used in the claims to describe the various inventive aspects and embodiments, “comprising” means including, but not limited to, whatever follows the word “comprising”. Thus, use of the term “comprising” indicates that the listed elements are required or mandatory, but that other elements are optional and may or may not be present. By “consisting of” is meant including, and limited to, whatever follows the phrase “consisting of”. Thus, the phrase “consisting of” indicates that the listed elements are required or mandatory, and that no other elements may be present. By “consisting essentially of” is meant including any elements listed after the phrase, and limited to other elements that do not interfere with or contribute to the activity or action specified in the disclosure for the listed elements. Thus, the phrase “consisting essentially of” indicates that the listed elements are required or mandatory, but that other elements are optional and may or may not be present depending upon whether or not they affect the activity or action of the listed elements. Finally, the term “substantially” if not otherwise defined for size or dimension or positioning of a specific part or configuration, means plus or minus ten percent.

It is an object of this invention to provide a container for smoking material which provides a grating component to allow for easy grating of smoking material, such that it may be positioned in a cigarette paper in a proper consistency.

It is an additional object of this invention to provide a container which is configured to contact against a grating portion of the container and to direct grated smoking material into a cavity for later positioning within provided rolling papers using a preferred funnel component.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the present smoking material container device and system, as well as the advantages thereof over existing prior art, will become apparent from the description to follow, and are accomplished by the improvements described in this specification and hereinafter described in the following detailed description which fully discloses the invention, but should not be considered as placing limitations thereon.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING FIGURES

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form a part of the specification, illustrate some, but not the only or exclusive, examples of embodiments and/or features of the various modes of the smoking material container system invention herein which, as noted, may be employed singularly or in combination. It is intended that the embodiments and figures disclosed herein are to be considered illustrative rather than limiting.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 depicts a front perspective view of the smoking material container in an assembled configuration having an external sleeve surrounding a slidably engaged internal container and showing a grating component formed into the wall forming the sleeve.

FIG. 2 shows the smoking container of FIG. 1 with a box-like internal container component for holding cigarette papers and optionally a funnel, with the internal container extending from a sliding engagement through a first opening in a side of the wall forming the sleeve.

FIG. 3 shows the surrounding external container sleeve of the housing of the smoking material container and further showing the grating component formed by a plurality of openings formed through the sidewall forming the sleeve.

FIG. 4 depicts the box-like internal container component removed from a sliding engagement within the internal chamber of the sleeve of FIG. 3 and shows an interior cavity therein for holding rolled papers, and/or smoking material, and/or a funnel which is dimensioned for positioning smoking material within the rolled papers.

FIG. 5 depicts the internal container having a ramp in a pivoting engagement at one end therewith, where the ramp is positionable between a planar stowed location on or against the bottom surface of the internal container, and the depicted angled orientation by rotation of one side thereof on the pivoting engagement with the internal container.

FIG. 6 shows the device herein in a particularly preferred mode where the ramp is in the deployed position angling upward from the internal cavity of the internal container, and the sleeve is positioned thereon to thereby direct smoking material grated through the openings of the sleeve into the internal cavity.

FIG. 7 shows the funnel, which is preferably foldable between a planar shape minimizing space taken when in a stored position stowed within the internal cavity, to a slanted configuration shown in FIG. 8, wherein the first side and second side both angle downward to the folding connection therebetween and form a ramp where grated particles of smoking material can be slid thereon and directed into an axial cavity of rolled papers.

FIG. 8 shows the funnel having a wider first end opposite a narrower second end which is sized for positioning within the axial cavity of a pre-rolled cigarette paper which may also be formed with a taper where a first end is wider than an opposite end.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

In this description, the directional prepositions of up, upwardly, down, downwardly, front, back, top, upper, bottom, lower, left, right, first, second, and other such terms refer to the device as it is oriented and appears in the drawings and are used for convenience only, and they are not intended to be limiting or to imply that the magnifying container device herein has to be used or positioned in any particular orientation.

Now referring to drawings in FIGS. 1-8 wherein similar components are identified by like reference numerals, there is seen in FIG. 1 a front perspective view of the smoking material container device 10 herein. The device 10 is formed in a separable housing 12 depicted in an assembled configuration in FIG. 1. As shown, the housing 12 has an external sleeve 14 formed by a sleeve sidewall 16. In the assembled configuration, the internal container 18 (FIG. 2) is located within an interior chamber 20 of the sleeve 14 and surrounded by the sleeve sidewall 16.

Also shown in FIGS. 1-3 is a grating component 22 which is configured to grate smoking material 24 (FIG. 4) from a large adhered mass thereof to grated particles 26 (FIG. 6) suitable for positioning with an axial cavity 29 (FIG. 8) of rolled papers 28 (FIG. 2) which are used in combination herewith. The smoking material can be provided or purchased separately from the device 10 herein and such is anticipated.

The rolled papers 28 can be provided as part of the device 10 and/or may be provided separately. The grating component 22 is formed by a plurality of openings 30 which communicate through the sidewall 16 forming the sleeve 14 portion of the housing 12. While depicted circular, the openings 30 may be any shape and in any number in the plurality.

In FIG. 2 is depicted the smoking container device 10 of FIG. 1 showing the box-like internal container 18 projecting through the sleeve opening 31 which provides communication into the internal chamber 20 of the sleeve 14 which is surrounded and defined by the sidewall 16. The internal container 18 may be easily removed from and reinserted into the internal chamber 20 by sliding it through the sleeve opening 31.

Also shown in FIG. 2 are cigarette type rolled papers 28 which when rolled and secured, are well known as having an axial cavity 29 therein which is surrounded by the cigarette rolled paper 28 which has been pre-rolled. The cigarette rolled papers 28 may be initially provided with the device 10 and may be easily replenished by the user and stored within the internal cavity 34 of the internal container 18. A funnel 36 shown in FIGS. 6-7 may also be provided with the device 10 and positioned within the interior cavity 34.

In FIG. 3 is depicted the surrounding external sleeve 14 portion of the housing 12 of the smoking material container device 10 herein. Also shown is the grating component 22 formed by a plurality of openings 30 which communicate through a portion of the sidewall 16 forming the sleeve 14 and into the interior chamber 20 of the sleeve 14 which is surrounded by the sidewall 16. A sleeve opening 31 is formed on at least a first end of the sleeve 14 to allow passage of the interior container 18 therethrough.

In FIG. 4 is shown the box-like internal container 18 which has been removed from a sliding engagement within the internal chamber 20 of the sleeve 14 of FIG. 3. Also shown are the interior cavity 34 of the internal container 18 defined by the area within the sidewall 35 which extends to a distal edge thereof from a connection of the sidewall 35 around the perimeter of the bottom surface 42 (FIG. 5). This interior cavity 34 has an internal area defined by the length of the sidewall 35 to its distal edge which is configured to hold rolled papers 28 and smoking material 24 therein. Additionally shown positioned within the interior cavity 34 is the preferred funnel 36 which is dimensioned for positioning grated smoking material 26 (FIG. 6) within the axial cavity 29 of the rolled papers 28.

Shown in FIG. 5 is the internal container 18 in a particularly preferred configuration wherein a ramp 38 is engaged to the internal container 18. In the preferred mode of the device 10, to prevent losing the ramp 38, it is in a pivoting engagement 40 to the internal container 18. The pivoting engagement 40 is preferred as it maintains the ramp 38 connected to the internal container 18 and is not easily lost. Additionally, the pivoting engagement 40 allows the ramp 38 to be positionable between a planar stowed location on or proximate to the bottom surface 42, such as in FIG. 4, and a deployed position as in FIGS. 6-7 where it can be rotated to an angled orientation by rotation of one side thereof in the pivoting engagement 40 with the internal container 18.

The pivoting engagement 40 along the entire first edge of the ramp 38 also insures there is no gap between the lower edge of the ramp 38 and the internal cavity 34 of the internal container 18. This gapless configuration prevents grated smoking material 26 from falling off the ramp 38 to somewhere other than in the internal cavity 34 as it slides from the interior chamber 20 of the sleeve 14 during the grating process shown in FIG. 6.

The pivoting engagement 40, in a preferred mode, provides for the automatic positioning of the planar ramp 38 to a contact against the bottom surface 42 when in the stowed configuration, such as in FIG. 4. This includes the pivoting engagement 40 to the distal end of the sidewall 35 of a folding portion 39 of the planar ramp 38 and a pivoting connection 41 of a second side of the folding portion 39 to the planar ramp 38. The width of the folding portion 39 between the pivoting engagement 40 and pivoting connection 41 is substantially equal to the width of the sidewall 35. By the width of the sidewall 35 herein is meant, the distance from its connection to the perimeter of the bottom surface 42 to the distal end 37 of the sidewall 35. The inclusion of the folding portion 39 also helps the user maintain the edge of the planar ramp 38 positioned over the internal cavity 34 during use and makes the ramp 38 more compact in the stowed position by maintaining it parallel and in contact with the bottom surface 42.

FIG. 6 shows the device 10 herein in a particularly preferred mode where the ramp 38 is in the deployed position angling upward from a first edge connected to the folding portion 39 which is located above the internal cavity 34 of the internal container 18. As shown, during the grating process, the sleeve is positioned with the side opposite the formed grating component 22 on the ramp 38. So positioned, the grated smoking material 26 formed from the smoking material 24, which is grated through the openings 30 of the grating component 22 of the sleeve 14, will slide down the angled planar ramp 38 and fall into the internal cavity 34. Any possible gap between the ramp 38 and the internal cavity 34 is prevented by the pivoting engagement 40 along one side of the ramp 38.

In FIGS. 7-8 is shown the folding funnel 36 which is preferably included and is formed of flexible material such as paper or a polymeric material. The funnel 36 is foldable along a folding connection 48 between a stored planar shape where both sides are substantially in the same plane minimizing space taken when stored within the internal cavity 34, to a slanted configuration shown in FIG. 8. In the slanted configuration the first side 44 of the funnel 36 is angled toward its folding connection 48 to the second side 46 of the funnel 36 to form a slide or passage therebetween for grated smoking material 26 to be positioned thereon and slid into an axial cavity 29 of rolled papers 28 employed in combination herewith.

The foldable funnel 36, preferably, is configured with the first side 44 and second side 46 shaped to define a first end 50 of the folding funnel 36 having a wider area than the opposite second end 52 of the funnel 36. This second end 52 of the foldable funnel 36 is dimensioned to fit into the axial cavity 29 of the rolled paper 28, when folded along the folding connection 48, to thereby allow for an easy insertion thereof into the axial cavity 29 of the rolled papers 28 for deposit of the grated smoking material 26 therein.

As can be seen in FIG. 8, the rolled papers 28 have an axial cavity 29 running between openings at first and second ends of the rolled paper 28. In a preferred mode of the device 10, wherein the rolled papers 28 are provided with it or separately for use with the device 10, the rolled paper 28 can be formed with a conical configuration wherein a first end of the axial cavity 29 into which the narrower end of the funnel 36 is positioned is wider than a second end of the axial cavity 29 of the rolled paper 28.

This narrowing configuration essentially configures the rolled papers 28 in a cone shape, wherein the first end is wider than the second end and the axial cavity 29 tapers from the wider first end to the narrower second end. While it is easier to engage the funnel 36 into the wider first end, in such a configuration, so long as the narrow end of the funnel 36 will slide into the first end of the axial cavity 29 of a rolled paper 28, it will also work well where the axial cavity 29 is substantially equal on both ends of a rolled paper 28 and does not taper.

The description of the features of the smoking material container device and system invention herein does not limit the claims of this application, and other applications developed by those skilled in the art upon reviewing this application are considered to be included in this invention.

It is additionally noted and anticipated that, although the smoking material container system herein is shown in its most simple form and potential configurations, various components and aspects of the disclosed smoking material container device may be differently shaped or slightly modified when forming the invention herein. As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate the descriptions and depictions set forth in this disclosure are merely meant to portray examples of preferred modes of the smoking material container herein within the overall scope and intent of the invention, and are not to be considered limiting in any manner.

Further, while all of the fundamental characteristics and features of the smoking material container invention have been shown and described herein, with reference to particular embodiments thereof, a latitude of modification, various changes and substitutions are intended in the foregoing disclosure as well as the claims which follow, and it will be apparent that in some instances, some features of the invention may be employed without a corresponding use of other features without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth. It should also be understood that various substitutions, modifications, and variations may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

Consequently, all such modifications and variations and substitutions are included within the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A smoking material container system, comprising: a housing having a sleeve and having an interior container; said sleeve having a sleeve sidewall surrounding an interior chamber, said interior chamber sized for a sliding engagement of said interior container therein; said interior container having a bottom surface with a sidewall projecting around a perimeter edge thereof, said sidewall projecting from a first end connected to said bottom surface to a distal end of said sidewall; an internal cavity of said interior container, said internal cavity positioned between said sidewall and said bottom surface; openings communicating through said sleeve sidewall from an exterior surface of said sleeve sidewall into said interior chamber; and said openings forming a grating component, said grating component for grating smoking material slid upon said exterior surface of said sleeve and through said openings, into grated particles of said smoking material which are communicated into said interior chamber.
 2. The smoking material container system of claim 1 additionally comprising: a folding funnel, removably positioned within said internal cavity of said interior container, said folding funnel having a first planar side engaged to a second planar side along a folding connection therebetween which extends between a first end and second end of said folding funnel; said folding funnel having a stowed configuration wherein both said first planar side and said second planar side are aligned; said folding funnel having a folded configuration wherein said first planar side and said second planar side both angle toward the folding connection; and said folding funnel in said folded configuration defining a ramp for sliding smoking material positioned thereon toward said first end of said folding funnel and into an axial cavity surrounded by a rolled cigarette paper.
 3. The smoking material container system of claim 1 additionally comprising: said folding funnel tapering from first width at said first end thereof to a second width at a second end thereof; and said second end of said folding funnel sized for positioning through an opening at a first end of said rolled cigarette paper and into said axial cavity.
 4. The smoking material container system of claim 3 additionally comprising: at least one said rolled cigarette paper removably positioned within said internal cavity; and said rolled cigarette paper tapering from a first diameter at said first end thereof, to a second diameter smaller than said first diameter at a second end thereof.
 5. The smoking material container system of claim 1 additionally comprising: a ramp, said ramp having a pivoting connection at a first side thereof to a portion of said sidewall projecting around said perimeter of said bottom surface; said ramp movable between a stowed position located within said internal cavity to a deployed position projecting from said internal cavity; and said ramp in said deployed position forming a support for said sleeve during openings communicating through said sleeve sidewall from an exterior surface of said sleeve sidewall into said interior chamber; and said ramp in said deployed position forming a slide for communicating said grated particles of said smoking material into said interior cavity from said interior chamber of said sleeve when positioned atop said ramp.
 6. The smoking material container system of claim 2 additionally comprising: a ramp, said ramp having a pivoting connection at a first side thereof to a portion of said sidewall projecting around said perimeter of said bottom surface; said ramp movable between a stowed position located within said internal cavity to a deployed position projecting from said internal cavity; and said ramp in said deployed position forming a support for said sleeve during openings communicating through said sleeve sidewall from an exterior surface of said sleeve sidewall into said interior chamber; and said ramp in said deployed position forming a slide for communicating said grated particles of said smoking material into said interior cavity from said interior chamber of said sleeve when positioned atop said ramp.
 7. The smoking material container system of claim 3 additionally comprising: a ramp, said ramp having a pivoting connection at a first side thereof to a portion of said sidewall projecting around said perimeter of said bottom surface; said ramp movable between a stowed position located within said internal cavity to a deployed position projecting from said internal cavity; and said ramp in said deployed position forming a support for said sleeve during openings communicating through said sleeve sidewall from an exterior surface of said sleeve sidewall into said interior chamber; and said ramp in said deployed position forming a slide for communicating said grated particles of said smoking material into said interior cavity from said interior chamber of said sleeve when positioned atop said ramp.
 8. The smoking material container system of claim 4 additionally comprising: a ramp, said ramp having a pivoting connection at a first side thereof to a portion of said sidewall projecting around said perimeter of said bottom surface; said ramp movable between a stowed position located within said internal cavity to a deployed position projecting from said internal cavity; and said ramp in said deployed position forming a support for said sleeve during openings communicating through said sleeve sidewall from an exterior surface of said sleeve sidewall into said interior chamber; and said ramp in said deployed position forming a slide for communicating said grated particles of said smoking material into said interior cavity from said interior chamber of said sleeve when positioned atop said ramp.
 9. The smoking material container system of claim 5 wherein said pivoting connection of said ramp, additionally comprises: a pivoting portion having a first side opposite a second side, said first side of said pivoting portion in a pivoting connection to said sidewall; said pivoting connection engaging a second side of said pivoting portion and said first side of said ramp; and said ramp in said stowed position positionable parallel to and in contact against said bottom surface of said interior container.
 10. The smoking material container system of claim 6 wherein said pivoting connection of said ramp, additionally comprises: a pivoting portion having a first side opposite a second side, said first side of said pivoting portion in a pivoting connection to said sidewall; said pivoting connection engaging a second side of said pivoting portion and said first side of said ramp; and said ramp in said stowed position positionable parallel to and in contact against said bottom surface of said interior container.
 11. The smoking material container system of claim 7 wherein said pivoting connection of said ramp, additionally comprises: a pivoting portion having a first side opposite a second side, said first side of said pivoting portion in a pivoting connection to said sidewall; said pivoting connection engaging a second side of said pivoting portion and said first side of said ramp; and said ramp in said stowed position positionable parallel to and in contact against said bottom surface of said interior container.
 12. The smoking material container system of claim 8 wherein said pivoting connection of said ramp, additionally comprises: a pivoting portion having a first side opposite a second side, said first side of said pivoting portion in a pivoting connection to said sidewall; said pivoting connection engaging a second side of said pivoting portion and said first side of said ramp; and said ramp in said stowed position positionable parallel to and in contact against said bottom surface of said interior container. 